One Head Can Not Hold All Wisdom
by shinobipopcorn
Summary: After the final battle of Twilight Princess is over and Link and Midna have departed, Zelda is left with Ganondorf's standing corpse after the Triforce of Power has abandoned him. In a moment of compassion that she can't explain, she withdraws the Master Sword from Ganondorf's body... Written for Zelgan Big Bang 2017
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is the story I wrote for the (sadly collapsed) 2017 Zelgan Big Bang. It doesn't have an illustration and as far as I know only one other story made it to completion. :(

This work is actually an inversion of my ganlink story Identities, that is to say this is what would have happened had Ganondorf lost the battle at the end of Twilight Princess. In this story, Link and Midna leave Hyrule for the Twilight Realm, and thus do not appear at all apart from a small mention in the first chapter. So yes, the Link for this story is female but that shouldn't matter because she literally has no bearing on the story (aside from shoving a blade in Ganny's chest). There is a midlink prequel to this story, but it is adult in nature and can be read on AO3.

The only characters from Identities that are shared between the stories are Aveil and Kona. Everyone else has character development that differs between the two. Kona's daughter is a prominent supporting character in this story, she is mentioned in passing in the other story.

* * *

The final battle was over. The Twilight had receded, Zant was no more, and the evil being that had supplied his power was impaled on the Master Sword, never to threaten Hyrule again. All that remained was the matter of the Twilight Princess, and as it turned out, the crafty imp had survived Ganondorf's attack and now stood in her true form, free of the curse that had plagued her for so long.

Zelda stood at the base of the hill and watched as Link reunited with Midna, the two of them overflowing with joy at finally being together. Seeing as it was not her place to spy, Zelda turned from the happy couple to the grim figure looming just over her shoulder.

Ganondorf had not died the moment Link impaled him, but rather when the Triforce of Power seemingly abandoned him. _Why would it do that?_ Zelda thought, as she studied the giant man. Furthermore, as she had watched the battle it became clear to her that Link was not the great fighter she had originally assumed, and that Ganondorf even appeared to be throwing the fight. How could this man go through so much, only to give up in the end?

Curiously, Zelda found herself gripping the Master Sword and slowly withdrawing it from the crack in Ganondorf's chest. She had to brace herself against his armor, and her glove quickly stained with his blood, but she removed the blade without further assistance.

At that moment, the sound of Link and Midna warping away startled her, and she reflexively drew her palm to her chest. Sighing when she realized the unflattering blood stain it left behind, she cast the Master Sword away into the dirt and began mumbling to herself. "Oh, what was I even doing..."

Suddenly, Ganondorf let out a strangled gasp and fell to his knees, grabbing Zelda's shoulder and wheezing while she screamed in panic. When Zelda tried to wrench free of his grip, it knocked him off balance and caused him to collapse on top of her.

"Great Golden Goddesses! Link, someone, HELP!" Zelda squirmed and thrashed, but the Gerudo was too heavy to push off. Link was gone, and no one around could hear her pleas. Oddly enough, Ganondorf had fallen back into unconsciousness and was not trapping her of his own accord. Unfortunately, he must have weighed in the neighborhood of three hundred pounds, and not even Zelda's secret Sheikah training was enough to move him. She did not know any spells that could teleport without an instrument to channel through, and in her panic, she did not think to call the Light Spirits for help.

Zelda squirmed beneath him for what seemed like hours, until Ganondorf started coming around. She froze in horror as she watched the desert king grimace, then crack his neck, before finally opening his eyes.

"...Queen Zelda." Ganondorf rose an eyebrow in confusion as Zelda meekly nodded, then turned his head to the left and right to scan the area before settling back on her. He did not seem the least bit concerned that he was lying atop Hyrule's queen. "Where did the girl go?"

Zelda returned an equally confused stare, so Ganondorf decided his own investigation would produce better results. He attempted to stand, but found there was no energy in his body to do so. With a grunt of pain, he managed to roll onto his back, freeing Zelda from her stiff and heavy prison.

The second she was free, Zelda scrambled to her feet and dove for the Master Sword, grabbing it and pointing it out in front of her as a warning. "Stay back! Stay BACK!"

"Simple chit, did you not just see how painful it was for me to _roll over_? And you think I'm going to leap up and ravage you?" Ganondorf rolled his eyes, and winced as he discovered just how little energy his freshly revived body contained.

"I've had you in my head once," Zelda snapped, "an experience I'd prefer not to repeat!"

"I don't repeat."

Zelda huffed, and gripped the sword tighter. Sore and stiff herself from the ridiculous position she was forced to lie in, she used the opportunity to rest as she gathered a little information. "How are you alive? And why did you let Link ki... _beat_ you?" She thought better of her words, after all Link could not have killed him if he was here talking to her.

"As for the first question, your guess is as good as mine," Ganondorf sighed, weakly lifting his hand to see that the Triforce no longer shined from the back of his palm. "The second, well, even you should have felt sorry for her. It's your fault she was such a pitiful sad sack, it's obvious your culture made her feel she had to play pretend to save you. I couldn't bring myself to kill a kid who never got to live her life to the fullest. I'm guessing she ran off with the imp? Hope they're happy together."

"What?!" Zelda lowered the Master Sword in shock. "A girl? You... you're lying to me..."

"Lying? What cause do I have to lie?" Ganondorf began laughing, an eerie sound that made Zelda shiver. "Your hero was a woman, didn't you see it when you rode behind her on that horse, or when you shared the imp's consciousness? She reminded me of a Gerudo in some ways, insanely loyal and a warrior to the bone. Maybe that's why I couldn't do it..."

Zelda watched with curiosity as Ganondorf began clumsily stripping his armor, tossing it every which way as he laid in the dirt and sighing as his sore muscles were freed from their confinement. "So what's to become of me now, Your Majesty? You gonna drag me in front of the townsfolk for another public execution? Toss me in a jail cell to rot? Leave me out here until I recover and start the cycle all over again?"

 _What_ am _I going to do with him?_ Zelda thought to herself. "...You were correct when you said Link will probably accompany Midna back to the Twilight Realm," she replied, choosing to address the subject of Link's gender during her own meditation later. "I could lock you up, but I do not believe that would be of any help to the rebuilding of Hyrule."

"Well then, what _are_ you going to do with me?" he snorted as he threw away his breastplate.

A thought occurred to Zelda, and it made her chuckle with delight. "There are a good many people who think it is not wise for me to rule as queen on my own. I think that is rubbish. However, since the Sheikah attendant I had as a child has unfortunately moved on from this world, I am slightly vulnerable. There is also the fact that with your piece of the Triforce having deserted you, and Link surely going with Midna to the Twilight Realm, my piece of the Triforce is the only one left in Hyrule for you to covet. Therefore, it is in your best interests, Gerudo King, to act as my royal guardian. Once you've recovered, of course."

Ganondorf turned and looked at Zelda as though she had grown a second head. "That is the most RIDICULOUS thing I have ever heard in my life! Have you gone mad?"

Raising the Master Sword, she answered, "I could just put this back where I found it..."

"No, no!" Ganondorf put his hands up in surrender, and sighed. "How foolish you are. What is to stop me from killing you in your sleep, or planning a coup against you?"

"For starters, without your Triforce, you are vulnerable." For extra emphasis, Zelda came closer with the Master Sword and traced the ground next to his shoulder. Ganondorf tried to hide it, but it was obvious the proximity from the sword was causing him pain. "If I keep this sword with me, and have my light arrows handy, I shall always have something with which to conquer you."

"How joyous."

"Quite. Next, I will have another guardian who can thwart your misdeeds. I actually have a young woman from Termina who is training for the position," Zelda explained. "And I believe she will delight in keeping you in your place."

"And why is that?" This caught Ganondorf's interest, and he managed to prop his head on his arm to look Zelda in the face.

"Oh, because she is a young _Gerudo_."

"WHAT?!" Ganondorf balked at the notion of a Gerudo in service to the Queen of Hyrule.

"And the Termina Gerudo do not believe in that silly 'lone male is king' superstition," Zelda taunted with glee. "So she will gladly remind you when you are not respecting your Queen."

By now, the sun was high in the noon sky, and soldiers from the castle had come out to search for Zelda. Upon spotting her, they rode over with haste. "Ah, excellent timing. Men, I'll need you to drag this _guest_ back to the castle," she explained, chuckling as Ganondorf growled in contempt. "Take him first to the stable and have them hose him down. Leave all the armor out here, he will not be needing it."

"The HELL I won't!"

The nervous captain of the guard averted his eyes from Zelda's bloody dress as he acknowledged the orders. "What do we do with him... afterward?"

"Oh, put him in a guest room, I suppose." Realizing why no one was looking at her directly, Zelda returned to Ganondorf and purloined his cape, wrapping it around her shoulders and hiding the blood. "If he bites, stick him with this." She handed the captain a light arrow, before confiscating the Sage's Sword and galloping away on one of the soldier's horses.


	2. Chapter 2

After surveying the damage to the castle, giving preliminary orders to troops for devising reconstruction plans, and ordering aid detachments to Zora's Domain and other affected areas, Zelda attempted to retire and reflect upon the events of the last twenty four hours. That was when she remembered _him_.

"Milady, if you please?" A knock on the door stirred Zelda out of her thoughts, as a slim red haired girl of seventeen entered her bed chamber and bowed. The girl had olive skin and big gold eyes, characteristics which along with her bright hair made her unmistakably Gerudo. Striking her apart from other Gerudo, however, was her attire. Wearing her hair up in pigtails and dressing in Hylian clothing, she was certainly as unique as her namesake.

"Yes, Ruby?" Zelda turned in her chair, and looked to the young girl. "What's wrong?"

"Your, um, 'special guest' has been complaining that he's hungry, and the guards don't know what to do. Do you want me to go quiet him down?"

Zelda chuckled at the news. "He seemed rather shocked when I said I had a young Gerudo under my wing, you might cause more trouble if you go in there alone."

"...Why is that, Your Majesty?"

Raising an eyebrow, Zelda turned back to her young guardian. "Ruby, my dear, have you not seen him?"

"No, Milady."

"Then you're in for a treat. Come, we shall go see our rowdy guest together." Zelda made herself presentable by donning a formal robe over her sleeping gown, then accompanied Ruby down to the floor where the guards had lodged the unruly Gerudo King. Though he was in a guest room and not a dungeon cell, two guards stood outside the door just in case. The fright on their faces shone brightly through their helmets.

"Gentlemen, what seems to be the problem?"

When their queen approached, the guards jumped to attention. "Your Majesty! We sent Miss Ruby to inform you that the... 'guest' keeps thrashing about and complaining of a sour stomach," the first guard answered.

"Yes, Majesty, he claims not to have eaten in a year," the other guard stammered.

"I CAN HEAR YOU OUT THERE! GET ME SOME FOOD!" Everyone but Zelda jumped back as Ganondorf shouted through the walls. Ruby even started toward the door to teach him a lesson, but Zelda's hand on her shoulder stopped her assault.

"...Very well. Fetch a meal from the pantry," Zelda ordered of one guard, and dismissed him. Turning to the other guard, she asked, "Were my previous orders carried out?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"What did you dress him in afterward?"

The guard blanched. "Uh, I think they just put his own clothes back on him..."

"So he is decent?"

"Yes, I believe so?"

At that, Zelda pushed past the guard and threw open the door, pulling Ruby along. Ganondorf was laid out on the bed, wearing nothing but the torn trousers from his armor and a rather nasty frown. His hair was a wild mane of red scattered atop the pillows; the soldiers having apparently yanked off his crown without care caused it to frizz and tangle. The wound on his chest was no longer glowing, but it still appeared raw and painful.

"Hm, not exactly what you call decent, I suppose, but passable."

"Blame your damned soldiers," Ganondorf snorted Zelda's way, before noticing how Ruby stared at him. "...This is your Gerudo girl?"

Ruby inched closer to the bed, her eyes wide as saucers. "I-is he... Gerudo? A _male_ Gerudo?"

"Yes, Ruby." Zelda pulled the awestruck girl out of the way, as the guard entered with the meal. "You may put it on the table over there. Bring back some salve and bandages."

The guard acknowledged his orders and quickly departed for the infirmary. When Ganondorf smelled warm food for the first time in ages, he struggled against the pain and forced himself to sit up. "Give it here!"

"Not until you make yourself presentable first." Zelda put herself between Ganondorf and the tray, earning a growl. "You look like a wild animal."

"Woman, you'll find out how much of a wild animal I can be if you don't get out of the way."

"Don't talk to the Queen like that!" Ruby grumbled, earning a glare.

"We have standards here, in this castle, and one of them is that you always look presentable," Zelda scolded, pulling a hairbrush from a dresser drawer and handing it to Ganondorf. "If you want to eat like a man and not a beast, you will follow those standards."

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes at the gesture. "That's a servant's job."

"In case you've forgotten, part of the agreement means you are now a servant." A light arrow materialized in Zelda's other hand. "Or shall I stick you with this instead?"

Grumbling, he took the brush. "Honestly, if you hadn't eaten in years, you'd see the ridiculousness of being forced to brush your hair while a hot meal stares you in the face."

Zelda watched Ganondorf struggle with the knots in his hair, and slowly realized more hair was ending up ripped out or yanked than necessary. With a sigh, she turned to Ruby. "Ruby, will you please help him so he can eat his dinner while it's still warm?"

Thrilled, Ruby climbed on the bed and immediately took over brushing duty. "Wow, your hair is so thick! You would have taken forever to do this the way you were doing it..."

"Thanks for the confidence, kid." Ganondorf rolled his eyes, before snatching the dinner tray. "So what's the plan now?" he asked with a mouth full of food, earning a disgusted sigh from Zelda and a prompt to mind his manners from Ruby.

"Once you've regained enough strength for everyday activity, we will start with an orientation of the castle," Zelda explained. "Then I will consider allowing you to have a presence among the military. If that goes well, and there are no hints of betrayal, you will take up your position as a royal guardian. In addition, you will have daily sessions with me to assess your mental state. Understand?"

"Yeah, I think I get it," Ganondorf mumbled. "But I'm a Gerudo, Hylians don't like us. I doubt your advisors and military will like me just hanging around among them."

Zelda frowned, as Ganondorf's comment seemed to make Ruby upset. "Don't talk nonsense. That was the Hyrule of the past, where your ancestor caused trouble. You may not have been aware of this, but a Gerudo runs the most popular establishment in Castle Town."

"My Auntie Telma," Ruby chimed in. "Everyone loves to visit her bar."

Zelda nodded. "Yes. In fact, I had planned to send an invitation for Ruby's mother to come to the castle and join the Hyrule Army as a sign of peace. Ruby is from Termina, but her mother is a general for the Gerudo here in Hyrule. She's renown for her battle skill, even among the Sheikah."

That made Ganondorf perk up, and he turned to stare at Ruby's face. "...Uh, did I do something wrong, sir?"

"Your mother, she's a general?"

"Yes..."

After a few moments of inspection, he blurted out, "Loud, obnoxious, missing an eye?"

"I wouldn't say she's obnoxious, but... yes? Her one eye is blinded from a battle..."

He smacked the table in recognition. "Kona! I knew she had a kid, but not one this old... When's she coming? Is Aveil coming too?"

Zelda cocked her head in surprise, as Ganondorf stared at her like a begging puppy. "I have yet to send the invitation, I was interrupted by the attack on the castle. You know her?"

"Know her? They're my twin sisters, for Farore's sake!" Ganondorf suddenly began laughing, unnerving the girls. "Oh, they have to come, it would be perfect! I wonder if they even know I'm alive? Change the message to tell them I'm here, they'll be sure to come."

"Right..." Zelda beckoned Ruby to her side, and moved to the door as the guard returned with Ganondorf's bandages. "We'll leave you to your dinner, get some rest when you finish. The guards will help wrap your wound, and I'll have new clothing sent down by morning."

Once the two had left, Ruby turned to her queen. "Milady, what was that all about? He became a different person when my mother came up..."

"The Triforce of Power is an interesting beast," Zelda explained as they returned to her chambers. "It can drive a person insane, and make them lose sight of the things that matter. While Ganondorf was imprisoned in the Twilight Realm, he probably went mad from the power corrupting his mind. Now that he's free from it, he has remembered the good things that he left behind, like his family. He's excited to see them again." She chuckled at the realization that the fearsome Demon King Ganondorf was just another ordinary man who loved his family. "I suppose we owe it to him to return that which we took away."


	3. Chapter 3

A pair of Gerudo women under heavy cloak approached the castle, one of them skittish and checking her surroundings. "So, remind me why we've been summoned here again?"

"The queen's message said it was an urgent matter for our people, and specifically requested the two of us by name," the other answered, lowering her hood and looking her companion in the eye. "It also said there was no cause for alarm, and that we should come expecting to stay for a few days as honored guests. So calm down, Kona."

Sighing, Kona lowered her own hood as they passed through the North Castle Town gate, revealing the long scar over her blind right eye. "I don't understand how you can be so relaxed all the time, Aveil. Our homeland is running out of resources, dark sensations have been emanating from the temple as of late, and on top of all that, we've lost our little-"

"MUMMY!"

The two sisters looked toward the castle entrance, as an overly excited Ruby came rushing down the stairs at breakneck speed and toppled over the scarred Gerudo. "Oh Mummy, I missed you so much!"

"R-Ruby?! Goddess of the Sand, what are you doing here?" Kona embraced her daughter, then immediately began looking her over. "You, you look so lovely in this dress! And your hair, such pretty buckles holding your pigtails! Oh, your earrings..."

Aveil watched the happy reunion between her sister and her daughter with a smile on her face. "Kona, you never told me how much your daughter resembled our mother..."

"Well, I didn't want to insult her!" Kona resumed showering her daughter with compliments and kisses, until the group was interrupted by a trumpet heralding Queen Zelda's arrival.

"Oh, Mummy, Aunt Aveil, Milady the Queen is coming! Quick, we have to get up, she has a surprise for you!" Ruby pulled her mother to her feet, and dusted off their clothing.

"You mean you're not the surprise?" Kona joked and turned to Aveil for confirmation, but she was stunned to see her sister completely white faced and teary eyed. "What, what is it, what happened?"

"L-little brother..."

Kona whipped around to the castle entrance, where Zelda had been standing and waiting for their approach. Right beside her, a certain Gerudo King awkwardly scratched his head and smiled at the generals. "Hello, my sisters..."

In a rare moment of hysterics, Aveil rushed forward and threw herself at Ganondorf, sobbing into his shoulder. "We thought we'd never see you again," she mumbled into his shoulder as he rubbed her back in comfort. "How is this possible?"

"Well, you know... Once the Triforce of Power woke and I was execu... _extended an invitation_ to the Twilight Ream," the nasty glare he received from Zelda changing his train of thought, "I ended up getting scrambled around a bit in the head and I did some things I shouldn't have." Reflexively rubbing his chest, he continued, "I did a lot of bad things, and I should have died out in Hyrule Field. But both the Goddesses and Queen Zelda have given me a second chance, and I figure I should listen to them for once."

Kona slowly approached, and after a hesitant inspection, grabbed him and in a bear hug.

"Easy, chest hasn't healed yet! Weren't you listening?"

"Who'd have thought I'd come to Hyrule Castle and find my Ruby and my Ganny here?" Kona shouted with laughter. "Oh, we owe the Queen more than thanks, don't we, sis?"

Aveil nodded, as she wiped her face dry. "Yes, that is for certain." Turning to Zelda and bowing, she added, "Your Majesty, whatever have we done to earn such a kindness?"

"You need not consider it something to have worked for," Zelda clarified, "but rather repayment in return for the ills my family has caused your people. The Gerudo are equally valued citizens of Hyrule, and I wish to rebuild the broken alliance between our nations." Looking Ganondorf's way, she added, "Crimes were committed, yes, but we're going to work to rebuild what was demolished. Ganondorf is going to serve as a royal guardian to make up for his crimes, and when he has atoned for them, he'll be free to return to you."

"Don't worry, Mummy, I'll look after him!" Ruby piped in, after spotting the funny expression on Ganondorf's face. "I'm in training to be Queen Zelda's protector, so I'll be here to keep an eye on him."

"And of course, my family is welcome to stay at the castle for as long as I am?" For emphasis, Ganondorf pulled Kona and Aveil under each arm, huddling together in front of the queen. "Package deal, you know..."

"Yes, they may stay if they wish." Zelda knew there was more of a chance of Ganondorf behaving if he had someone to relate to nearby. "Come, let us all retire to the dining hall. I am sure you ladies are exhausted from your journey."


	4. Chapter 4

Zelda was amazed at how Ganondorf opened up, simply from the added presence of his family in the castle. The hallmark of his rehabilitation program was a daily chat with Zelda about the Triforce of Power and its influence on him and his actions, and before he usually kept his answers terse or vague. Now that Aveil and Kona had come, Ganondorf would often times ramble or even ask Zelda questions. Zelda was so impressed with the change that she allowed him to start his training with the castle guard earlier than planned.

Several weeks after his own training began, Ganondorf was in the sparring hall watching Zelda as she gave Ruby a few Sheikah enhancements to her regular Gerudo training. They were currently working on archery, one of the young guardian's weaker skills.

"Ruby, when you aim your bow, don't cast the enchantment to your arrow until you've spotted your target." Zelda demonstrated, taking a bow and shooting an ice arrow into a dummy on the other side of the room. "If you do so before nocking, not only will you waste your energies holding the spell, you chance not being able to see where you are aiming. It's not as bad with an arrow such as this one, but watch again."

This time, Zelda switched to a hissing black arrow that engulfed the dummy in shadow once it connected. "See how my viewpoint faded?"

"What kind of arrow was that?!" Ganondorf jumped up from his slouch against the wall, startling Ruby and making her drop her quiver. She hurried to clean up the spilt arrows, as Zelda sighed at the interruption.

"You are known to be a great sorcerer, and yet you did not recognize the spell? ...Ruby, if you please." Ruby handed Zelda an arrow, which she transformed for Ganondorf. "The curse arrow," Zelda explained. "It is useful for blinding enemies, and causes a temporary paralysis when used on humanoids. It is Sheikah magic, though it has been known to fail when used on someone of high magical caliber, such as yourself."

"Fascinating..." Ganondorf examined the arrow until its spell dissipated, then as a show of strength threw it into one of the dummies without need of a bow. "You place much pride in your archery skills, my queen. Even going so far as to alter your herald, I see..."

The two women looked up to where Ganondorf was pointing, and could see through a window that he meant the loftwing crest overlooking the courtyard entrance. This particular statue had the Triforce in gold in the middle as always, surrounded by a stylized marble bird with wide wings. What set it apart, however, was the presence of a silver arrow clutched in each of its talons.

"...Ruby, I think you've done an excellent job for today. Why don't you clean up and get ready for lunch?" Picking up on Zelda's intentions, Ruby quietly excused herself and left the two adults in the training hall.

Once she was gone, Ganondorf turned back to the window. "I take it you know what you have up there in that loftwing's talons?"

"Why do you think my mother insisted on teaching me archery?" Zelda replied. "The greatest weapon known to all of Hyrule, even more powerful than the Master Sword... I did not tell Link or Midna about the Silver Arrows because they are really only to be used in times of utter despair and hopelessness. And in truth, I... I did not want to give up hope that Zant would be defeated."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow, then glanced back and forth between the statue and Zelda. "So... even after I possessed you and seemingly killed the true ruler of the Twilight Realm, you never once told your hero there was a weapon that would obliterate me in one shot?"

Sighing, Zelda shook her head in the affirmative. "You may have been inside my head, Ganondorf, but for that same moment, I was also inside yours. And you were not acting completely of your own volition." With that, she handed him the bow and left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Ganondorf had become more and more cooperative since the discussion in the sparring hall, so Zelda allowed him to go from training alongside the castle troops to leading them. The Triforce of Power may have abandoned him, but he still retained his extensive knowledge of battle techniques and weaponry. He also greatly enjoyed training the castle guard on Gerudo attack patterns, as it was a chance to spread his culture.

While Ganondorf had fun with the troops, Zelda took the opportunity to meet with Aveil and Kona to discuss some rather alarming reports about the Arbiter's Grounds. There had been some light concerns about the sacred temple when the two Gerudo leaders arrived, but they had recently received word that the evil spirits had multiplied. Aveil and Kona could no longer wait to address the problem.

"The Arbiter's Grounds, or the Spirit Temple as we call it, was just recently attacked by that Twilight monster, Zant," Aveil explained. "When the Hero chased him out, we thought everything would return to normal."

Zelda lowered her head. She had paid close attention to all of the areas hit by Zant's assault, and though her heart went out to the Gerudo, she had not sent aid their way due to harder hit areas needing greater assistance. "I heard about Zant's meddling, and I apologize for not sending aid. What happened afterward that has you worried?"

"There is a dark force emanating from one of the chambers within the temple," Kona explained. "It is the same chamber that we had sealed a ferocious demon in many years previously," she paused and pointed to her scarred over eye for emphasis, "but that demon was eradicated by your Hero of Light. This new one is unknown to us. There is no physical presence to it either, we can only sense its aura. But our wise women say it is a bad omen."

Zelda looked to the map of the desert that they had laid out on the table. She did not see anything obvious that might cause an evil force to leak out from the temple. There was the entrance to the Twilight Realm on the rooftop, but before they left, Midna had enchanted the Mirror of Twilight so that only she or Link may operate it, and the Gerudo promptly buried it back in the sand so that no one would try to abuse it. "The Twilight Realm is safe, so we may rule that out as a possibility for the cause. What about the Spirit Temple itself, how was it used in the past? My tutor insists that it was a prison, but I don't believe that."

"As well you shouldn't," snorted Kona. "Nana would sh-"

Aveil hastily covered her sister's mouth as she launched into a string of obscenities aimed at the old Kings of Hyrule, and when Kona was finished, the calmer twin slapped her for good measure. "What my sister was about to say, is that our grandmother, High Priestess Nabooru, was the caretaker back when the first king unified Hyrule, and later became the enlightened Sage of Spirit. Nana would have welcomed others to pray in the temple, but she would have never condoned its use as a prison."

"Then why did she allow that monster to take our brother away from us?!"

Kona readied to dodge another blow from Aveil, when Zelda intervened. "No, it's alright, Kona. I've been discussing it with Ganondorf, but perhaps you deserve to hear it as well. The Triforce of Power corrupts its wielder unless there is another Triforce piece nearby to counter or balance its rage. My father thought the only way to deal with Power was to snuff it out, and thus he tried to execute Ganondorf. That failed, and led to the Twilight incidents. Perhaps your ancestor knew the suffering that would come upon him as a Bearer of Power, and sought to spare him a life of torture..."

Kona and Aveil looked at each other. "Your Majesty," Aveil asked, "does the Triforce of Wisdom cause _you_ pain?"

"Oh, it has its moments," she chuckled. "A child with the vast intellect of an aged scholar doesn't get to play pretend..." Turning to the map, she sighed. "Discussion about my mental state can be had another time. We must focus on the source of this evil energy."


	6. Chapter 6

Ganondorf was sitting in his room late at night, when a knock came at the door. "Enter."

The door creaked open, and Zelda quickly ducked inside. "It's not too late for a little conversation, is it?"

"No, although the maids might start gossiping if they see you sneaking in here wearing so little," Ganondorf mused. "Weren't we having our little 'therapy sessions' during the afternoon? What brings the Queen of Hyrule to my bedchamber at this hour, in her nightshift, no less?"

Zelda sighed, before taking a seat near the window. "...I was bothered by a conversation I had, with your sisters earlier today. We were discussing the dark force that radiates from the center of your Spirit Temple."

"I know of it," he said, scratching his chin. "My first thought was that it was some evil creeping in from Termina. It didn't have the same feel as the dark forces of the Twilight..."

"...That is not what I wished to discuss with you," Zelda admitted, as she stared out at the night sky. "I told them we had gone over the subject," she muttered, "but the truth is, we haven't even scratched the surface."

"The surface of what?" Zelda had gotten cryptic, as the Bearer of Wisdom often did, but she was starting to outright confuse Ganondorf. "What did you come here to discuss?"

Zelda looked down at her lap, before turning to face him. "Ganondorf, aren't you disheartened that your own grandmother was one of the sages that condemned you?"

Ganondorf drew back at Zelda's question, before scoffing in amusement. " _That_ is what troubled you all day? The idea that Sage Nabooru was forced to banish one of her own? Child, the Gerudo accept the consequences of their actions. We do not run from our fate, even if it is dealt from the hands of our loved ones."

"Consequences?!" Zelda was so ruffled that she nearly leapt from her chair. "What consequences had you wrought? You merely existed, burdened with the Goddesses' Mark like the rest of us! You never asked for Power to wake within you, just as your people never asked for their king to be taken away and put to slaughter in a public spectacle!"

As Zelda carried out her oration, Ganondorf noticed a faint glow coming from the inside of her long sleeve. "Hn. And I suppose as a child, you never asked to have your wide eyed naivety stripped away from you, replaced by a thousand tomes' worth of knowledge and yet no one to share it with?"

Realizing what was happening, Zelda pulled her glowing hand close to her chest and withdrew into the chair, as Ganondorf continued. "I know what burdens you, Bearer of Wisdom. Your conscience eats away at your soul with every portion of this story you uncover. The truth is, the incident you speak of wasn't actually the first time the Triforce woke within me. It was only when the sages could actually sense it, that the King came for me. The first was a little earlier, when Kona and Aveil's mother kicked me out and forced me to live in the Spirit Temple."

He answered the confused look on Zelda's face with a chuckle. "Nabooru had two girls, my mother and the twins' mother. My own mother died in childbirth, so I was adopted and lived with them until I came of age and went to the Spirit Temple. When the Triforce woke within those walls, I began to hear the voices. Most of them were easy to ignore, except for the One. He always wanted me to take."

"...What did you do, then?"

"I took," Ganondorf explained. "Only I took in a way different than what he wanted, I suppose. I took the light from the sun, I took the water from the earth, I took the meat from the creatures I killed for sustenance... I was fine once I returned to the Valley. Everything was fine... until the King of Hyrule found out about me."

Zelda knew the rest of the story from there. "...My father died eight years after you were banished, and even after I ascended the throne, they never shared any of this with me. I had to find out on my own. I was deemed fit to rule the land, yet for some reason unfit to know its deepest secrets..."

"Well, you know what they say, Power corrupts." Ganondorf laughed at his pitiful joke, before returning to seriousness. "So what _really_ haunts you, Princess?"

Frowning, Zelda corrected, "I am a Queen."

"Same potion, different bottle."

Sighing, she looked at the mark on her hand. "...You can't possibly know what it's like to bear the burden of Wisdom."

"Perhaps, but I know what it's like for Power. And I'll bet Wisdom drives you mad far worse than Power could ever hope to, since there is no way to burn off all that extra steam."

Zelda frowned at his musings. "What absurdity are you spouting now?"

Chuckling, Ganondorf stood from the bed and walked over to the window. "It's simple, really. If I'm in a foul mood and I possess the Triforce of Power, all I need to do to let off my anger is something like this." Grabbing the bow laying in the corner, he leaned out the window and fired off an arrow, knocking the lamp off some poor guard's night post.

"Ganondorf!" Zelda promptly stood up and surveyed the damage, relieved that the guard was unhurt. "How could you?"

"Now, what's the Bearer of Wisdom to do when she gets flustered? You can't exactly summon up a bunch of books to read themselves," he boasted. "Maybe you can enchant a broom to sweep the room in an angry fashion. Or make the flowers overgrow!"

Zelda pouted as Ganondorf laughed at her, and stood to make for the door.

"Hey, don't get all sour on me, I was just teasing." Ganondorf stopped laughing, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know there are a lot of things you can do, like that light arrow trick, or the wealth of all the other magic spells you know. Wisdom isn't any lesser of the three pieces. If anything, it has the most potential to destroy a person, because there is no greater weapon than a sharpened mind, nothing deadlier than someone well read. What was it they used to say, Power needs Wisdom? Well, I wouldn't be here without you, that's for sure. And I'm truly grateful you thought I was worth the effort."

Zelda quit her fidgeting and looked in his eyes. "You... you mean that?"

"Of course I mean that." Ganondorf smiled as Zelda tried to hide her blush. "What man wouldn't appreciate the chance to stand by the side of such a lovely creature as yourself? If I'm to spend my time in service, I'm glad I get to serve you."

Smiling, Zelda patted the hand on her shoulder. "...Thank you, Ganondorf, your sincerity means a lot. It is nice having someone to talk with who understands the burden of bearing the Triforce." As a child, she had tried talking with her father, but he was either too busy or did not take her words seriously. Her tutor Auru would listen to her and attempt to engage, but he was only mortal after all and had no divine insight. Even her beloved nursemaid was only around for a few years, and her death left a void. Now it seemed that void was filled.

As Zelda moved to leave, a thought occurred. "Ganondorf... Ruby and I usually have a private breakfast out in the gardens. Would you like to join us tomorrow?"

A huge grin came over Ganondorf's face. "I'd be honored."


	7. Chapter 7

Ruby stopped in the midst of her breakfast shuffle, and noticed Zelda entering the garden looking slightly fancier than usual. The regular routine was that they ate first, then retreated to Zelda's chambers so that Ruby could help Zelda put on her face for the day. This morning, however, Zelda had dusted her cheeks and applied a little eye shadow, as well as brushed back and tied her wavy slept-on hair.

"Good morning, Ruby..."

"Good morning, Your Majesty!" Ruby jerked to attention, realizing she hadn't finished setting the breakfast table. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. Oh Ruby, please set an extra place this morning," Zelda said as she looked up at the castle. "Someone will be joining us."

Ruby nodded, deciding that must be the reason Zelda made herself up. Though she found it odd, since Zelda usually never invited anyone to their breakfast... but that thought was immediately cast aside once she saw their guest stroll up to the table.

"You have so many gardens, I just about got lost trying to figure out which one you were dining in." Ganondorf paused at the table, noticing the simple sundress Zelda was currently wearing. "...I don't think I've ever seen you so lightly dressed."

Zelda chuckled as Ganondorf sat across from her. "Didn't you ever wear anything besides your royal regalia back in Gerudo Valley? Or did you wear that heavy black armor the whole time?"

"You're not going to like the answer to that question," he joked, propping his chin up on his arm over the table.

"Oh? You have my attention."

"No, Milady, you don't want him to answer that!" Ruby cautioned, though Ganondorf playfully covered her mouth to muffle her warning.

"In the desert," he explained, "most of us only ever wore breechcloths to keep the sand out of certain unwanted places, the exception being nursing mothers. Because it's painful to run around without breast support when you're full of milk, you know."

"O-of course," the queen muttered in shock.

"Sometimes it was so hot, the children didn't even bother wearing their cloths at all. As long as they didn't roll around in the sand, there wasn't any problem with it..."

Zelda tried so desperately to hide it, but soon it became obvious that she was blushing all the way to her ears. _Running around the desert naked?!_

Ganondorf immediately belted out in laughter, catching Zelda off guard and making Ruby shake her head. "Stop teasing Her Majesty, you fiend!"

"How precious a Queen you are, young Zelda. No doubt your nurses and maids kept you covered from the day you were born." Ganondorf winked at the flustered Hylian, then as a way of politely changing the subject looked around at the empty table. Holding up a plate, he quipped, "Say, this is a rather light breakfast we're having..."

"I set the table, and one of the servants brings the meals," Ruby explained, still annoyed at his teasing. "I let the staff know what to bring once Milady is seated and has her tea."

"Oh." Ganondorf hadn't realized breakfast was such a smoothly run affair. "In that case, what kinds of things do Hylians usually have for breakfast? Any meat besides sausage?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Lord Ganondorf has an... aversion to pork," Zelda chimed in, upon seeing the look of utter confusion on Ruby's face.

"I thought that most Gerudo did," Ganondorf snorted at Ruby's bewilderment. "Then again, you lived in Termina with your father and those sea faring Gerudo, didn't you, girl? You wouldn't have been around to know why we avoid it. Aside from my personal preference for the animal, we don't feast on mounts except in times of dire need."

Ruby nodded as she handed Ganondorf a cup of tea. "Mummy thought it would be best if I lived in Termina... The sea was calmer than the desert, there weren't any monsters that could gouge my eye out, and my father had a reciprocal relationship with the Gerudo that wouldn't get him beaten up or used for breeding if he wandered into their fortress."

"Ruby was trained to be an excellent swordfighter," Zelda praised, drawing a nod of approval from Ganondorf. "She first caught my eye in an exhibition, and I guess it worked out for the best that she's here, because now the whole family is back together."

Grinning, Ruby got up to place their breakfast orders- the usual eggs and toast for Zelda and herself, plus any meat besides pork for Ganondorf. It gave the two royals a chance to be alone together, and Ganondorf used the opportunity for a rare moment of tenderness.

"If I'm honest for a moment, the casual look suits you quite well," he mumbled, just loud enough for Zelda to hear so that his voice wouldn't carry through the gardens.

"You think so?" Zelda answered with a smile. "You know, there was a brief period in my childhood when I tried to ignore the call of the Goddesses, and I was always running around, getting my skirts dirty and making things as bothersome as possible for my nanny. She told me once that it was a shame I wasn't born to a life of greater pleasure and lesser responsibility than the one I had..."

"I can see you running around with dirty skirts," Ganondorf snickered. "I'll bet Wisdom was handy for letting you know what you could survive and what you would regret digging into. Did it give you more energy for exploration?"

"It did in a way, but we managed to channel that energy into my Sheikah training," she explained. "Magic was a much better outlet for a young princess than a mud puddle."

"Easier to play pranks on Daddy with the magic, eh?"

Zelda and Ganondorf both burst into laughter, confusing Ruby as she returned to the table. The young Gerudo wasn't worried, however, because it had been a long time since she saw her queen in such a cheerful mood. If her Uncle Ganondorf was the cause, she wouldn't mind if he came to breakfast every day from now on.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Probably going to post the rest of these all at once because I have a procedure coming up next week that is general anesthesia, and haven't had that done in like 12 years which was before I started getting all kinds of medical problems. :|

* * *

Aveil and Kona were researching the presence in the temple, so Zelda decided to continue working with Ganondorf. Thinking it would be nice to get away from the castle for a while, Zelda decided to hold their latest session out in the ruins of the amphitheater overlooking Lake Hylia. Ruby accompanied them for extra protection, but quickly made herself scarce with the flimsy excuse that she wished to search for golden bugs.

"Could that girl and her romantics get any more obvious?" Ganondorf snorted, as Zelda spread out a blanket along the stone and unloaded her things. "She might as well have handed us a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne and wished us luck."

"If anything, your sisters are to blame for encouraging her. Before they came, Ruby actually opposed having you hang around. 'Dead weight,' I believe, was what she thought of you," Zelda chuckled. "Now come set up the umbrella for me."

Ganondorf complied, unfolding a large pole umbrella to shield the queen's delicate skin from the overbearing summer sun. "Much appreciated, sir, thank you."

"I must say, I was rather surprised when you said you wanted to leave the castle for the day," Ganondorf admitted as he sat down atop the blanket. "You're not exactly out in the wilderness over here, but this is a departure from the safety and security of the castle. No servants to call for refreshment, either."

"My nanny would often take me to areas such as this when I was a child," Zelda shared. "Before I was awakened by the Triforce of Wisdom, I loved to explore new places. That feeling of discovery was the best thing a little child like me could ever hope to feel..."

Ganondorf watched as Zelda's cheerful expression turned dull, and her happy memories became a dreary sigh. "...But then I was suddenly full of knowledge, and the same things didn't seem thrilling anymore. I still enjoyed them, only-"

"The wonder was gone?" Ganondorf interrupted, receiving a surprised but reluctant nod in return. "That's the trouble with gifts received at such a young age. You might not know this, but we Gerudo actually know a lot about the old Sheikah myths..."

Zelda stared at Ganondorf in disbelief. "You do?!"

"Mm-hmm. And the story of the Triforce is one that I've read many times. One thing always made me wonder, though. Your Sheikah legends say that the Triforce is fragile, and can be cracked if someone without a balanced heart touches it," Ganondorf explained. "Well, the book I got my information from says this is the reason why there are three pieces. Except it doesn't say that anyone ever _did_ touch it in the first place."

"...I know."

"You know?"

"...I know who touched it." Zelda fidgeted, and looked every which way until Ganondorf gently turned her head back to face him.

"And just who touched it?"

"It's a very complicated story," she blurted out, grabbing the runner on her dress and wringing it her hands like a nervous school girl. "It's all my ancestor's fault, she had prophetic dreams but didn't know how to control them. You have an ancestor that shares your name, did you know that?"

"Of course I know that. King Ganondorf the First was captured and murdered by Hyrule Castle guards for a crime he _supposedly_ would commit in the future." Ganondorf rolled his eyes. "Seems to be a theme around here."

"Yes, and that crime he supposedly would commit?"

Ganondorf's eyes widened in surprise, and he reflexively looked at his depowered hand. "I think I know who touched it now."

Looking guilty, Zelda continued with her story. "He did succeed and he touched the Triforce, but all of his actions were undone by the Hero of Time and the Seven Sages, one of whom was my ancestor Zelda. In an effort to prevent what might have happened, that Zelda's father had your ancestor executed. I'm so sorry."

Seeing the pained look on Zelda's face, Ganondorf shrugged off the news. "Meh, what's done is done."

Zelda shook her head in disagreement. "It didn't make things right, though. The Gerudo lost their king, and the boy who would become the hero ended up with a life of pain and regret. Because of all my ancestor had done, the Triforce was split and lives were ruined in the process. She was far too young to know what she was meddling with, and in the end, she went mad from sheer guilt over what she had done."

Ganondorf listened to Zelda's confessions, and scratched his chin in thought. "It sounds like you've been told this story many times since your youth. Have all the women of your family heard it in the same way?"

"I... I suppose they all knew of my great grandmother's shortcomings," she guessed. "But I am the first to be born with the Mark of the Goddesses, the first to have this gift."

"So you were the first to be specifically prepared for this fate, then? Your nanny was a smart woman," Ganondorf remarked. "She reared you so that you would use your visions as a guideline, not as a certainty like the past Zelda did. That alone is an achievement. A Ganondorf still ended up on the execution block, but this time, you got me a second chance at life. Thank you."

To help calm Zelda's nerves, and to show his appreciation, Ganondorf took one of her hands away from the crumpled runner in her lap, and held it in his as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. Zelda blushed instantly, but as a sign that she wasn't offended, laced their fingers together and laid her head on his shoulder. The two sat that way for the rest of the afternoon, watching as the sun slowly descended over the sparkling lake.


	9. Chapter 9

"Milady, you're sighing again..."

Zelda looked up from gazing a hole through her vanity, as Ruby stopped combing her hair and waited for a response. "Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. You may continue."

"I doubt it's nothing, Your Majesty," Ruby snickered as she resumed tending to Zelda's long honey brown hair. "At dinner, you kept poking at your plate as though you weren't hungry, which I know couldn't be true since you skipped lunch. When it was time to get changed, you had your gloves off before I even arrived, and you kept touching the right one. You spent much longer than usual in the bath, nearly to the point of pruning, and now you're sighing into space. I think there is definitely something on your mind. Or rather, _someone_."

Zelda's blue eyes flashed open wide, and quickly met the golden eyes of the cheeky girl reflected in the mirror before her. "I am _not_ thinking of him."

"It's alright, Milady, we all support you. In fact, my mother and Aunt Aveil think you are a wonderful match for Lord Ganondorf. They've never seen anyone care so much about his wellbeing, not even their own mother or the other Gerudo elders. Plus, you two are just so cute together."

As Ruby went on singing the praises of Zelda and Ganondorf's compatibility, the facade Zelda had built to appear as a prim and proper adult promptly began to crumble. By the time Ruby declared that Zelda and Ganondorf would "have such lovely children", the facade had collapsed to bits and in its place was a very embarrassed twenty year old.

"Ahh, Ruuuby!" Red all the way to her ears, Zelda whipped around on her chair and pulled on Ruby's cheeks. "No no no! Don't be talking about getting married and having babies and all that other nonsense! We barely know each other! It was just a kiss, alright?"

"So you did kiss him?"

"NO!" Zelda let go of Ruby, and began restlessly rubbing her cheek where Ganondorf had kissed her. "It was a peck, nothing more! He was very gentlemanly."

Ruby nodded in understanding, before snickering. "Well you can't deny the cuddling, I at least saw that part myself."

"I thought you were elsewhere chasing bugs," Zelda snorted. "...Maybe we did cuddle a little. If you consider holding hands to be cuddling."

"Gerudo don't really have a lot of interaction with their mates," Ruby explained. "I mean, I lived with the Termina Gerudo, so Hyrule Gerudo may act a little differently, but there are a lot of similarities. Most Gerudo are like wild animals, in that the male doesn't hang around. It's rare for a Gerudo to have a partner, so when they find one, they like to show affection. In your case, Lord Ganondorf really _is_ cuddling, even if it's only hand holding for now."

"And I suppose that means he'd like to do more," Zelda mused, turning back to the mirror so Ruby could finish her hair. "...Maybe I'd like to do more, too."

* * *

Ganondorf headed back to his room with a smile on his face, caused by reflection of the day's events. Zelda didn't back off when he kissed her cheek, which gave him hope that maybe she'd let him go a little further. He knew he'd have to be careful, though, because the last thing he wanted was to seem like he was trying to use her. No, he was definitely NOT going down that road...

When he opened the door to his bedchamber, he got quite the surprise as a pair of boots went flying past his head and onto the floor. "What in the name of...?"

"Your wardrobe is hideous!" A few more garments hit the floor, before the owner of the voice withdrew from the closet. "You are a king, and yet you wear such disgusting and ill tailored slop?" Kona shook her head as she dropped a shirt to the floor. "How do you intend to win over your bride while wearing such rags?"

"Bride?!" Ganondorf stepped back in shock, while Kona rolled her eye like nothing happened. "What do you mean _bride_? And stop throwing my clothes on the floor, these are all I have!"

"Aveil left for the Valley several hours ago to check in on everyone, she is going to bring you more clothing when she returns," Kona rattled off. "As for your bride, don't play dumb. I may be missing an eye, but that doesn't mean I'm blind. The queen cares for you very much, even if she doesn't realize it herself yet. Why else would she go through the trouble of rehabilitating you into a gentleman?"

Ganondorf blanched at the suggestion. "Marry Zelda? W-what's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into YOU, young man?" she snapped back in her mommy voice. "I saw you at dinner. For starters, you let Queen Zelda and Ruby eat their meals and leave before you even touched your plate! Zelda was even poking at her dinner like an anxious little child. After she finally ate and left, you started daydreaming as you were eating, and even mixed your greens and spuds! You _hate_ doing that."

"I did that?" Ganondorf murmured to himself, shaking it off as he got back to the conversation. "Okay, so I was distracted today. That doesn't mean it's appropriate to just _assume_ we want to marry!"

"Who's assuming?"

Ganondorf threw his arms up in exasperation, and stomped over to the window. "...You're going about this the wrong way, anyway. Gerudo King or not, Triforce of Power or not, Zelda is still the Queen of Hyrule and outranks all of us. _She'd_ be the one who decides whether or not to propose marriage."

Kona snickered. "Then you just need to make yourself the most attractive suitor. Besides, you have it easy."

"...And why is that?"

"As far as I can tell, you're the _only_ suitor."

Ganondorf groaned, and stared up at the stars. "Don't talk about Zelda like that, she probably has tons of suitors pestering her." In actuality, Ganondorf knew no one was hurrying to wed the young virgin queen that surrendered Hyrule to the Twili usurper Zant. He even heard a pair of Zelda's so called 'advisors' discussing whether or not it would be a good idea to wait until Ralis came of age and possibly installing him as king. He kept his mouth shut for the sake of keeping the peace, but he wanted to strangle them.

"Besides, Kona, I'm not Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo in this situation." Ganondorf walked over to the closet, and picked up one of the simple outfits Zelda had provided for him. Pants in a dark maroon color, a cream button up shirt, vest with trim that matched the pants, and banded arm sleeves down to the wrist. As a courtesy, Zelda had the top of the vest draped with a Gerudo cloth, much like Ganondorf's armor.

"You're definitely not king in that thing," she snorted.

"I'm here for Zelda, because Zelda brought me back to life. If she likes simple clothes, then I like simple clothes." Ganondorf smiled at the outfit, and hung it back up along with the others that Kona had tossed onto the floor. "She was nice enough to include our culture in her designs, so we can be nice enough to wear them. Ruby wears Hylian fashions as well..."

Kona narrowed her eyes, keen to Ganondorf's gambit. "Smarty pants... Ruby is on duty, and besides she looks beautiful. Like a priestess, almost." After a pause, she mumbled, "...Okay, I get your point, Gerudo can be lovely in other nations' clothing."

Ganondorf smirked in his victory. "Good. ...So why are you still here?"

An evil grin spreading across her face, Kona whipped out a pair of scissors.


	10. Chapter 10

"I think I was eight before I solved this on my own. When you're that small, you have to think two dimensionally because you can't look up at the top of the hedges and just follow your way out. ...Are you listening?"

Zelda giggled as Ganondorf stopped scratching at the back of his neck, freshly paved territory thanks to Kona's impromptu trimming. "Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm listening. You solved the maze before you were eight."

"No, I couldn't solve it until _after_ I was eight." Zelda handed Ganondorf her parasol, and turned her attention to his ponytail. "Here's your problem, you've pulled your hair back too tightly along the trim line, and you've caught a few stragglers that pull on your skin."

Mid-morning, the royals were enjoying a stroll through the castle hedge maze. Kona had insisted on dressing up Ganondorf for the occasion, and had sent him out with his freshly tame hair pulled back like a Hylian. She refrained from chopping his mane, but attacked his beard and sideburns with the goal of making him look like less of a 'wild animal'.

"Overzealous Kona... I never have this problem when I coil or plait it on my own," Ganondorf grumbled, though he did have to admit it felt wonderful to have Zelda running her fingers through his hair. He then realized she wasn't wearing her ever present gloves.

"You can tell her I appreciate the effort." Zelda patted Ganondorf's shoulder, then with a chuckle shook her hands through his hair and messed it up right back to its untamed lion look. "Though every now and then, it's okay to be messy."

Ganondorf returned Zelda's smile, then took her hand and followed her out of the maze and into the nearby gazebo. As he moved to open the privacy curtains for more light, Zelda gently stopped him.

"That's not necessary, Ganondorf. Please, won't you sit with me?" Zelda retired to the lounge sofa and patted the seat next to her, curling a finger in her hair as he made up his mind. The Gerudo seemed to blush himself for a moment, before eagerly sitting down.

"...I don't like the word 'crazy', but there are times when I've heard it used to describe me," Zelda murmured, a candid statement which caught Ganondorf very off guard.

"What?! That's nonsense, you're not crazy!"

"Burdened with a condition they'll never understand, then? As you said, 'same potion, different bottle'. The way I do things always seemed odd to the advisors, even surrendering to Zant was something they didn't understand. We had no way to win, yet they thought I should waste the soldiers' lives trying to stop him." Zelda shook her head. "It cost far less in the long run to surrender, I'm sure they see that now. So it cost me my reputation, and spurned talk of deposing me when Ralis comes of age... Lives were saved."

Ganondorf was taken aback. "You... you know about the deposition rumors?"

With a sigh, Zelda nodded her head. "Yes, I know about them. A shame they couldn't keep their mouths shut around my guests, I would have preferred you and your family not be dragged into castle politics..."

"If it helps, I wanted to strangle them when I overheard."

Zelda gasped at the suggestion, but smiled as she realized that was exactly what Ganondorf would do if someone threatened a loved one. Thinking back to her conversation on cuddling with Ruby, she decided it was time to stop pussyfooting around and demonstrate how she thought of him as a loved one as well.

Ganondorf was dumbfounded as he watched Zelda scoot over and deposit herself in his lap, but really taken aback as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a kiss. She was a little hesitant, but when she made up her mind, it was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. Wrapping his arms around her for support, he slowly caressed her neck and shoulders as they melted into one another.

In heaven from the moment yet growing lightheaded from a lack of air, Zelda reluctantly drew back from the embrace. She was blushing as bright as a rose, her fair skin pink all the way to the tips of her ears. The honey color of her hair did nothing but complement this change in complexion, and brought a big smile to Ganondorf's face.

"You grin as though you've won a prize," Zelda mumbled in embarrassment, her blush deepening as Ganondorf softly stroked her cheek.

"Only the best prize there is," he boasted with a laugh. "I've even got you sitting in my lap."

"...I was told you like to cuddle."

"Oh, I _love_ to cuddle." Without warning, Ganondorf slid back so he was flat on the sofa, rolling Zelda so that she was lying in an embrace atop his stomach. "Don't you?"

"G-Ganondorf, we're not going to... Out here in the... Ohhh..." Zelda bit her lip over the activities this position implied, and looked around in a tizzy until Ganondorf turned her chin his way and gave her a quick and calming smooch.

"No, not in a gazebo. Aside from my desire to make that moment the most memorable of your life, something of which I _can't_ do on a little sofa, you never know when Kona or her offspring are out there eavesdropping." Ganondorf pointed to the one section of the curtain they had left open. "I'll bet they're out there right now..."

Zelda raised her hand, and with a flick of her fingers, the curtain came loose from its tie and pulled itself closed across the gazebo entryway. "There, they'll just have to use their imaginations. Now, how about that cuddling? I'm a little cold without my gloves..."

"I think I can help with that," Ganondorf replied, lacing his fingers with Zelda's as they shared another kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

Aveil paced nervously back and forth in the drawing room, while Kona and Ruby surreptitiously blocked off the entrance to the gardens. "Where are they? This is something of great urgency and utmost importance to both the Gerudo and Hyrule! I think we better find them and alert them of the situation at once!"

"Oh, whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until they make an appearance," Kona dismissed with a yawn. "Besides, what they're doing now is certainly an endeavor of importance for our national wellbeing... Don't you agree, my daughter?"

Ruby huffed, and bonked her mother on the shoulder. "Don't think such naughty thoughts, Mummy! The queen is a proper lady, and wouldn't do something so filthy before her wedding night."

"You're starting to talk like one of them..." Kona rolled her eyes and turned away, but in the midst, she caught a glimpse of Zelda and Ganondorf returning from the hedge maze. "OHHH! There they are, look, look! She's hanging on his arm!"

"Her hair is different..." Ruby's jaw just about dropped; all the work she put in this morning giving Zelda a lovely bun with ringlets, was now just loose hair flowing down her back.

"Not just hers," Kona added, noticing how wild Ganondorf looked compared to how she sent him out. Though the two Gerudo looked at each other and grinned, knowing that such disheveled end results meant they had succeeded in making their charges attractive to one another. Kona suspected Zelda's dress had been adjusted as well, since she knew Ganondorf's hands couldn't keep still, but she kept that bit to herself for the sake of preserving her daughter's naivety.

Aveil turned and caught sight of the royals, giving a sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddesses. Wait a minute, why are they embracing? Does Queen Zelda really return his feelings?"

"Shh, here they come!" Ruby motioned for silence, then opened the door and bowed. "Welcome back, Milady, Lord Ganondorf. I trust your stroll was pleasant?"

Ganondorf looked to Zelda with a grin. "You could say that..."

Zelda held back a giggle as he lightly pinched her hip, and attempted to return to her queenly duties. "Our time in the gardens was lovely, thank you, Ruby. Welcome back Aveil, how was Gerudo Valley?"

"Wonderful, Your Majesty, thank you." Aveil bowed, but immediately rose to speak her concerns. "If I may, Your Highnesses, there is some troubling news concerning the evil presence in the Spirit Temple."

Ganondorf straightened up, and reflexively flared his nostrils. Zelda noticed the tension that came over him, and rubbed his hand in assurance. "We will address it at once. Let us all move to the strategizing room, where there are maps and tools at our disposal." Zelda led the Gerudo to her strategy room, and once inside, pulled a ribbon from her desk to tie back her hair. "Aveil, if you would share your concerns...?"

"What happened?" Ganondorf demanded, worry on the edge of his voice. "Was anyone hurt? Are the children okay?"

"Everyone is fine," Aveil answered, drawing a relaxing sigh from both Ganondorf and Kona. "The problem is that the wise women can no longer sense the creature in the vicinity of the Spirit Temple."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "It left?"

"We don't know. All they can say is that there was definitely a strong evil presence the one day, then suddenly it was gone the next. No one had been going to the temple, not even High Priestess Odessa." Aveil shook her head. "Odessa had been ill for quite some time. Her sickness began right around the same time that the wise women first sensed the evil presence. Now that the presence has disappeared, Odessa has started to recover. We don't know what to make of it."

"I do." Ganondorf growled, then slammed his fist down on the table. "It's no longer content to stay in the temple and drain the power Odessa is granted from the Goddess of the Sand. It's coming after the only other source of power left in Hyrule- the Triforce of Wisdom."

The Gerudo women gasped, and turned in Zelda's direction. The queen however, had her eyes fixed on the map of her kingdom. "...It is a logical assumption to make, however we have no proof for the moment that this 'presence' can even assume a corporeal form."

"What are you talking about?!" Ganondorf scoffed. "The logical thing to assume is that because it appeared and disappeared on its own, it must be mobile. Odessa's condition is proof enough that it feeds on divine gifts, we should accept that proof as reason enough to fortify our defenses. I suggest you start with the castle."

"No." Zelda looked up from the map, and addressed Ganondorf directly. "I simply must refrain from taking any action that could incite a panic without some kind of proof positive for my people. Hyrule is still recovering from Zant's incursion. A malicious force that is neither seen nor heard, and that sucks the energy out of its victims, is exactly the kind of thing that would drive the already uneasy populace into mass hysteria."

Ganondorf sighed, before nodding his head. "As you wish, you are a wise and insightful ruler. However, I want you to know that I insist on doing whatever necessary to keep you safe. You brought me back from death to be your guardian, and I _will_ guard your life with every ounce of my own."


	12. Chapter 12

Castle Town was lovely during its annual Merchant Festival, and as always, Zelda enjoyed spending time making appearances among the various districts and sampling the people's wares. The Center Square was busy with snack stands and Malo Mart shoppers, so she took a detour through West Castle Town. This area was relatively quiet, but still held its share of excitement. Thrill seekers tried their hand at the STAR Game, while those that preferred to seek out their fortune visited Madame Fanadi and her crystal ball.

In South Castle Town she had a chance to speak with some Goron merchants and see how everyone was faring on Death Mountain, and learned that the Gorons and the residents of Kakariko Village were doing just fine. Pleased with the news, Zelda continued her stroll and ended up dragged into Telma's bar by a very eager and excited Ruby.

"Auntie Telma, Auntie Telma! We've come to visit!"

Telma looked up from polishing glasses as the door burst open, and gasped in excitement as soon as she saw who had come to visit. "Oooh! If it isn't my favorite Gerudo girl in all of Hyrule and Termina combined!" Hopping over the counter, Telma ran over and grabbed Ruby in a bear hug. "Why haven't you come to see me sooner?!"

"Sorry, Auntie, I've been busy..." Ruby motioned to her side, where Zelda smiled in return. Upon seeing it was the queen who stood there, Telma broke from the hug and bowed.

"It's alright, Miss Telma, no need." Zelda patted Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby has told me a lot of nice things about you and your establishment, plus I've heard about all the things you've done to help the Hero save our land. Thank you so very much."

"Oh, it was nothing," Telma answered, scratching her head in embarrassment. "I just did what I could to help. Anyone would have done the same."

"On the contrary, Link had a hard time finding allies. You and the others here were indispensible, and it is I who should be doing the bowing." Zelda took Telma's hand, and added, "If there is ever anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask."

With a smile, Telma accepted the offer. "You know, the two of you look hungry. Let me get you some good home cooking. I'll bet that palace food doesn't fill you up anywhere near as well as mine will."

Ruby looked to Zelda with a grin, then ran over to a table and plopped herself down. Zelda took a look around first, admiring the bar's rustic interior. There were several other patrons, mostly off duty soldiers, but overall the place had a homey feel and was nothing like the seedy bars Zelda was warned to stay away from. Feeling upbeat, she took her seat and thought about what other little cozy hideaways she might discover in town.

A little while later, after Zelda and Ruby had finished their meals and were enjoying some tea at the bar, Zelda overheard an interesting conversation from a table of guards.

"I don't see why we have to take extra patrols, especially for a demon we can't even see."

"Well you heard the man, Lonzo, the point of the extra patrols is to catch something as it happens, not necessarily to catch the demon itself. We can't fight a demon, anyway."

"Gaffi, Lonzo, you don't get it. He wants us to be the bait for the thing. Put extra guards out in the courtyard to give it something to munch on, so the great Demon King can swoop in and save the day. His end game really is to save the queen, he just wants to slow it down before it gets to her. Since his own Gerudo couldn't stop it..."

By the time Zelda heard them mention Gerudo, she was fuming. She stood from the bar and marched straight over to their table, smacking her palm against the wood and sending their drinks flying.

"Your Majesty!" the three shouted in unison, two of them fumbling to the ground in the process while the third tried to cover his slopped up uniform.

"What were you just talking about? Answer me!"

Ruby and Telma arrived just as the guards stood to attention, and the most sober of the trio began to speak. "Uh... we were discussing our new orders, Your Majesty."

"What new orders? Who gave them to you?" Zelda turned around to see a few other guards standing and watching the display, so she quickly ordered them before her. "You lot back there, come forward as well."

"Yes, Majesty!"

Once all the guards in the bar were before her, Zelda repeated her questions. "These drunken guards were talking about extra patrols to watch for a demon. How do you know of this matter? What orders were you given?"

"Your Majesty," the highest ranked guard began, "Lord Ganondorf ordered us to be on the look out for an evil presence that might attack the castle. He said that he had a reasonable suspicion that a demon from the Gerudo lands might try to harm the qu, uh, Your Majesty."

Zelda gasped, though her expression quickly twisted into an ugly frown. "When did you start these extra patrols?"

"About a week ago," the guard answered.

"The day after the strategy meeting," Ruby mumbled, biting her nails in concern.

Incensed at the complete disregard of her wishes, Zelda hurried out of the bar and headed straight back to the castle, with the intention of finding Ganondorf and confronting him. The townsfolk were stunned at the sight of their queen running through the square irate and completely red faced, with her Gerudo handmaiden hurrying behind with a look of unease. Whatever had happened, it was clear Zelda was on the warpath.

The first to see Zelda coming was the captain at the castle gate, who ordered the grand doors open and rushed out from his post to meet her. "Your Majesty! You look alarmed, is something the matter?"

"It will be in the next several minutes," she huffed. "Where is he?"

"I beg your pardon?" The captain tilted his head in confusion, until he glanced past Zelda and saw Ruby miming Ganondorf's name. "Oh! I think he's on the training field, Majesty."

Zelda nodded in acknowledgement, then stormed through the gate and marched straight through the castle to the training grounds. She spotted Ganondorf alone practicing his swordplay, and strolled right up to him. When he turned to greet her, she returned his greeting with a sharp slap to the face.

"What in the name of Din was that for?!" Ganondorf shouted as he dropped his sword and rubbed his stinging cheek, stunned that Zelda was acting so differently.

"You deliberately disobeyed my instructions," Zelda snapped, looking Ganondorf in the eyes to relay her sincerity. "I told you not to take any action regarding the presence in the Arbiter's Grounds, and yet you went and gave the guards orders behind my back!"

Ganondorf straightened up, and sighed with a bit of irritation. "Yes, I did."

"Did you not understand WHY I told you not to act?" Zelda narrowed her eyes at Ganondorf's aloof response to her concerns. "The castle guard are extremely weak willed when it comes to keeping their mouths shut about their orders. They are known to gossip at the drop of a hat, which is exactly how I found out about your indiscretions! The drunken fools at Temla's bar were even carrying on about invisible demons and how you, the almighty Demon King, were using them as bait!"

Zelda grabbed her forehead and shook in anger over the recollection. "Don't you see how this could all be blown out of proportion if the wrong people overheard such a conversation? It is EXACTLY the reason why I told you to keep QUIET!"

"Well, don't YOU see how concerned I am for your safety?!" Ganondorf countered, kicking his sword across the court and cursing at Zelda's outbursts. "Maybe no one else can see it, since I still look like the Demon King, but I don't have the Triforce of Power anymore! I'm just a man like everyone else, a man who's acting out of love and desperation because he isn't entirely sure that he'll be able to stop this demon if it goes after the woman he loves! So a few more people know it might be coming after you, that's good because the more eyes we have on it, the more chances we have to grab it before it harms you. I won't take a chance in case I can't stop it on my own. You're too valuable to me, Zelda..."

Ganondorf laid a hand on Zelda's shoulder, but she hastily slapped it away. "Do not patronize me, Ganondorf. I am the Queen of Hyrule and the Bearer of Wisdom, not some little girl who needs looked after. I thought you had come to understand that, but I guess I was wrong that you changed."

Offended by such a remark, Ganondorf attempted to reach out to her again. "Zelda, please."

"No. I will hear no more from you, Demon King!"

Recoiling in horror at being called such by his beloved, Ganondorf angrily retrieved his sword and turned to leave. "...I had thought you were above such petty insults, _Your Majesty_ , but I guess I, too, was wrong that you've changed."

By the time Ruby arrived in the training grounds, Zelda was hunched over on the ground, staring listlessly into the distance with her hands in her lap. There were makeup smudges on her gloves, and tear stains on her cheeks. "...Milady? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Ruby," she answered in an obvious lie, keeping her gaze ahead and answering in her 'official' voice. "I think I would like to be alone for the rest of the night."

Ruby took aback to the request, but acknowledged her orders. She retreated to a proper distance and kept an eye on Zelda for safety's sake, wondering what must have been said to upset her so badly. In all the time she had known the queen, this was the first time she had ever seen her cry.


	13. Chapter 13

Ganondorf sat in his chambers, brooding over the unpleasant conversation he had just stormed away from. Love does make you do stupid things, like disobeying orders, but sometimes those actions are completely justified. He knows his gut feeling is slightly paranoid, but if he lost her...

His thoughts were interrupted as the door flew open, and a concerned Aveil came running in. "Oh, there you are!"

"What do you want?"

"I just caught a glance of Queen Zelda in the hall," she explained, "and she looked like she was _crying_! When she realized I saw her, she hurried out of sight."

Ganondorf hid his reaction with a sigh. "So?"

"' _So?_ '" Aveil whapped him over the back of the head, earning a growl. "So get off your butt and go comfort her! If someone has hurt her, surely her lover can lift her spirits."

"Not if I'm the one who caused the tears in the first place," Ganondorf grumbled in response. When Aveil reacted with a terrible gasp, he knew he had to explain himself. "...You know how she said not to tell the guards about the evil presence? Well I did anyway, and she found out. She confronted me about it a little bit ago, and was quite angry to the point of calling me a Demon King and saying she was wrong to think I had changed."

Aveil narrowed her eyes, recognizing Ganondorf's trigger points. "What did you do...?"

"I threw her insults back at her, saying she was the one who hadn't changed, and stormed away," he answered.

Throwing her arms up in a huff, Aveil proceeded to scold her younger brother. "For the love of Nayru, Ganon, she's just a child! You can't be so bitter to a girl that young, she's probably never even been in love before to know how to handle these sorts of things."

"What are you talking about?" Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "This wasn't a lovers quarrel, this was a disagreement over her orders..."

"Of course it was a lovers quarrel," Aveil corrected with a roll of her eyes. "Zelda probably thought you were patronizing her, acting like the big man who had to stand up for his dainty little girlfriend."

"...She did use that word, yes."

"Zelda is twenty years old, barely an adult, and you are probably the first man she's ever been so close to. Combine that with the stress of having to scold a pupil and you get an emotional overload. When you snapped at her, she must have realized she hurt your feelings, and girls in that position always assume the worst." Aveil sniffed and dabbed at her eyes for dramatic emphasis.

"You're starting to get as bad as Kona," Ganondorf grumbled. "...Assume what worst?"

"That you no longer love her."

Ganondorf scoffed at the absurd notion. "Absolutely and under no circumstances would a little argument cause me to stop loving her. We just need a little time to cool down so we can approach the situation like adults." He took a deep breath, then grabbed his sword. "And I'm going to cool down by patrolling the grounds."

* * *

Zelda shuffled through the castle and hurried up to her chambers, desperate to avoid any more contact with others. When Aveil's eyes went wide at the sight of her, she just knew the Gerudo matriarch could tell she was upset. A queen should never let others see her so broken up, especially over something so trivial as a lovers' quarrel.

However, in Zelda's mind, it was not such a trivial affair. She had fallen head over heels for Ganondorf, and in one moment of arrogance, allowed her status to shove him away. In her heart she didn't really care that he had disobeyed her, but her pride as the Bearer of Wisdom got in the way. The Triforce inside her didn't like that someone who had lost his divine gift disregarded her decision to continue searching for evidence, and so it made those feelings known. As a result, it drove Ganondorf away.

Finally reaching her room, Zelda immediately started tossing her regalia. Gloves, pauldrons, runner, even her crown was unceremoniously dropped onto a table, as she proceeded to yank the charms and ties out of her hair. Finally, she wiggled out of her heavy court dress, and collapsed onto the bed wearing only her shift.

Tears coming to her eyes again, Zelda dug through the pile of pillows at the head of the bed and pulled out a stuffed blue monkey. "What if I've offended him to the point where he never wants to see me again?" She hugged the monkey to her chest and curled into a ball. "What if _I_ was patronizing _him_? Ohh... What if Aveil thinks I was just trying to get sympathy by pretending to be upset? What if I've turned all the Gerudo against me...?"

Zelda immediately began to sob, and it wasn't long before she had cried herself to sleep.

When Zelda woke, the sun had gone down and her room was completely dark. She was confused as to why there were no lamps lit, but then she remembered that in her state of shock, she had dismissed Ruby for the night. Snapping a simple fire spell into her palm, Zelda rose and lit the lamp on her bedside table. She then went to the window and realized that the curtains were still open, and found it odd that no light was seeping in from elsewhere in the castle.

"Perhaps there's a nasty fog," she mumbled to herself, as she pulled the curtains shut in order to change into her bedclothes. Using a few spells to quickly light the rest of the room, Zelda stopped and glanced at her reflection in the vanity mirror. She looked ghastly. Her hair was a frizzy mess, her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and to top it off, the tears had smeared her makeup and caused muddy trails to run down her cheeks. If anyone were to see her, they'd mistake her for a ghoul.

After wiping the makeup away and combing as much of the frizz back into place as she could, Zelda changed into her sleeping gown and sat down on the bed. She glanced at the clock and found it to be a reasonable hour, so she contemplated going to see Ganondorf. He was a rational man, surely he'd understand the situation? He seemed to sympathize and understand her difficulty growing up with the Triforce of Wisdom... Perhaps an apology was in order. Yes, this whole mess got started by her foolishness, and she was sure he would understand if she relayed her regrets.

Zelda made herself somewhat decent, and decided to head for Ganondorf's room. She made the choice to approach him as she was, no fancy outfits or makeup, to help get the message across that she was sincere. However as she opened the door, she found the hallway was just as dark as her room had been upon waking.

"What, here too? Don't tell me Ruby kept everyone away on purpose..." Grabbing the lantern from inside her door, she headed down the hall muttering to herself about the girl's dedication. The stairway leading to Ganondorf's floor was lit, though his hall was dark. Seeing a little light peeking out from under the door, Zelda took a deep breath and knocked.

"...Ganondorf? May I speak to you, please?"

No answer to her call, though Zelda could hear movement inside the room.

"...It's important, so I'm coming in, okay?" Zelda cracked open the door and tiptoed in, spotting someone standing by the window. "There you are. Ganondorf, I really need to say something about the argument we had in the training grounds earlier today."

Zelda waited for Ganondorf to reply, but got no response. "...Ganondorf?" As she held her lantern higher to see his face, the light hitting the form simply vanished, leaving a dark shadow behind. A dark shadow with a grin full of sharp teeth. Zelda screamed, dropping her lantern to shatter on the floor as the creature lunged toward her.


	14. Chapter 14

By the third complete pass he had made in his patrol of the grounds, Ganondorf was starting to get on his own nerves, to say nothing of how he had bothered the other guards. Every time one of the guardsmen saw the anxious Gerudo approaching, they hurried and acted as though they had just completed a thorough survey of their patrol route. "Nothing to report, sir!" had become a buzzing in his ear, and he was starting to think they were just messing with him. The next guard to say that was going to get it...

Ganondorf was just approaching the courtyard entrance as the sun had set, and a guard was in mid salute ready to rattle off that earworm of a phrase, when a thunder crackle overhead startled the both of them. "Goodness me, sir! What a conversation starter, eh?"

"Yeah," Ganondorf murmured as he narrowed his eyes, noticing how the sky had become dark as coal when there was previously not a cloud in sight. "You get sudden storms like this often in Castle Town?"

"Not usually, no," the guard answered, "though since the Twilight Uprising, we have started getting used to sudden bouts of stormy weather."

 _Twilight doesn't look like this_ , Ganondorf thought to himself, and looked up at the sky once more. As he returned his gaze to the ground, he realized where he was standing and just couldn't write it off as coincidence. "Guard, this storm seems a little stronger than most. Head to the supply shed and have them transport extra heating and lamp oil into the castle, just in case the winds are high."

"Yes, sir." The guard scurried off, leaving Ganondorf without any witnesses. He ducked under the courtyard arch and threw the strongest ball of magic he could muster up at the loftwing herald, hoping he still had enough strength without the Triforce of Power to break the stone. His attack succeeded, and the loftwing crest crumbled to the ground in a pile of metal and stone. Rooting through the debris, he fished out the two sacred relics from its talons and slid them into his coat.

As Ganondorf was clearing debris to the side for a pathway, the storm suddenly picked up in the strangest of ways. The entire sky turned to black, not just the eastern horizon where the sun had already vanished for the night. A horrible chill also swept through the town and castle, blowing out every brazier, candle, and torch leaving the whole province as black as the skies.

Ganondorf could hear the clamor of the castle workers fretting over the sudden darkness, but he was immediately alarmed as a woman's pained screaming cut through the fervor. It sounded like it came from the castle living quarters...

Summoning a fire spirit to accompany him for light, Ganondorf took off for the source of the scream, sword in hand. He flew past several guards who were stumbling around searching for the culprit, but made no effort to stop and straighten them out. That screaming could have come from Zelda. Coming upon the hall leading from the kitchen he discovered that this was not the case, but unfortunately the victim was someone equally as dear.

"Ruby!" Ganondorf arrived to find the poor girl laying on the ground, with several large gashes through her stomach. A few kitchen maids were trying to stop the bleeding, while the cook had run off to find a doctor. "What happened? Who did this?!" Ganondorf demanded answers as he lifted his niece into his lap, and attempted some healing magic.

"I tried to bring Milady some dinner..." Ruby mumbled, pointing to the remains of a meal tray scattered across the floor, as Ganondorf urged her to quiet down and save her energy.

"Miss Ruby had just left with Her Majesty's dinner tray," one of the maids explained, "when suddenly all of the lamps in the kitchen and hallways went out. It was like a stormcloud had suddenly blown through the building!"

"A few moments later, we heard the tray crash to the floor and Miss Ruby scream," another maid added, shaking with fright. "The pageboy who helps us in the kitchen ran out to see what happened, but he didn't come back. Then Cooky ran out, and found Miss Ruby on the ground and all this blood everywhere. She had us help Miss Ruby while she went to find the doctor. That's when you came. We don't know what did it, or where the pageboy went."

"It got him," Ruby wheezed. "A black creature with nasty teeth and claws."

"Ruby, don't try to talk," Ganondorf urged, hearing what he hoped was the doctor scrambling along from down the hall. "Just squeeze my hand for a yes. Do you think it was the demon from the temple?"

Ruby managed a light squeeze, affirming Ganondorf's suspicions.

"It must have attacked you because you're a Gerudo. Damn it all!" Ganondorf hissed in anger, but tried to hold his composure for Ruby's sake. "Did you see where it went?"

"I got a swing at it with the Shadow Fist that Milady taught me, then it left," Ruby chuckled. "She said... cough... 'bad shadows don't like good shadows'. Milady's so smart..."

"RUBY!" The doctor had finally made it, along with his assistants and a guard, but not two seconds later an emotional Kona appeared and shoved the doctor out of the way. "My baby! Oh, why did it have to hurt my precious baby?! Farore, Nayru, and Din, be merciful!"

"Madam, please get a hold of yourself!" The doctor urged. "She'll be okay as long as you let me work!" The doctor then looked to Ganondorf, and motioned to the stretcher his assistants were holding while he continued trying to calm Kona. "My lord, if you would?"

"Kona, go with the doctor and look after Ruby," Ganondorf ordered after laying Ruby on the stretcher and turning her over to the doctor's care. "Have Aveil act as your guard in case anything would come back. The two of you can support Ruby while the doctor works."

Kona kissed her baby's forehead, before the doctor and his assistants carried her to the infirmary for treatment. "That thing... it had to have gone after my Ruby because she is around Zelda so much. There's no other explanation. She's just not like the rest of us, she's a wonderful girl who looks beyond the prejudices of our past. My beautiful baby..."

Ganondorf suddenly snapped back into reality upon hearing Kona's words. "Zelda..." She was right, Ruby was Zelda's closest companion. If that thing could sense her aura around Ruby, it would be able to sense Zelda's presence no matter where she was in the castle. Zelda had nowhere to hide.

Ganondorf was gone from that hallway before Kona could even blink.


	15. Chapter 15

Ganondorf ran as fast as he could up to Zelda's chambers, ignoring the ache in his muscles and the sting in his lungs from working so hard. Zelda's quarters were several floors above ground level, her personal preference, and he was quite winded from running up that many flights of stairs. It appeared that even mundane gifts like the stamina of his youth had the Triforce of Power to thank, and he never noticed until it was gone.

Finally reaching Zelda's floor, he bolted down the hall and threw open her door. "Zelda? Zelda!" The room was empty, though it appeared to have been vacated only recently. All of the lamps were lit, but Zelda's clothing and royal ornaments were thrown around the floor in complete disarray. Her crown was even tossed onto a side table with little care.

It was very much unlike Zelda to leave her chambers in such a state, though there weren't any obvious signs of a struggle. Nothing was turned over or broken, and the only disturbed furniture was the crumpled comforter of the bed. Ganondorf moved closer, and upon inspection of the comforter and a stuffed animal could sense the residue of dried tears. Aveil's words came back to him, and he realized Zelda must have done this herself while upset. He then had an idea where she might be.

Running back through the corridor leading from Zelda's chambers, Ganondorf took the side stairway to the floor directly below where his room was located. His breath caught in his chest as he spotted his door cracked open, but he cast his fear aside and charged ahead. Shoving the door open, Ganondorf was shocked to see a black spectre hovering over a collapsed and weakened Zelda.

"Zelda!"

The spectre looked up at the intrusion, in time to meet a magical blast from Ganondorf. Using the blast as a diversion, Ganondorf hurried in and threw himself protectively over Zelda. "You're not getting her, you unruly demon!"

Angry at having its prey intercepted, the spectre withdrew its claws and attempted to slash at Ganondorf. Ganondorf used the opportunity to gather the fire that had started from Zelda's broken lantern into a spell, and threw it at the spectre as it came close, knocking it off balance and exposing its center of power.

"Let's see if you like getting stuck with one of these," Ganondorf growled, and pulled one of the Silver Arrows from his coat. As the spectre came around again for another swipe, Ganondorf threw the arrow and hit the exposed target dead center. The spectre shrieked and began to curl in on itself, as Ganondorf shoved the second arrow straight into its exposed maw.

With the impact of the second arrow, the shadow creature burst into nothingness, knocking Ganondorf back and taking the darkness that had fallen over Castle Town with it. The sky cleared, and soft moonlight shone through the window onto the royals huddled on the floor. Ganondorf turned and gathered the shaking Zelda into his arms, rubbing her back and cooing to calm her nerves. "It's gone, Zelda, you're safe now. Did it injure you? Do you want me to..."

Zelda quickly interrupted Ganondorf's questions by clamping onto his neck and burying her face into his shoulder, holding tightly to him and rattling off all of her worries. "Oh, Ganondorf, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault! I was wrong to yell at you earlier, you were right, it did come here... I was so foolish, I let the Triforce of Wisdom boss me around and put my ego before my heart... I didn't mean what I said, I'm the one who hasn't changed, not you. I love you so much, I just can't let a stupid argument drive you away. Oh, please forgive me, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Ganondorf listened to Zelda's confessions with a smile on his face, and when she had finished, he pulled her back so they were making eye contact. "Oh, Zelda my dear... You may seem all knowing because of the Triforce of Wisdom, and that may make you feel conflicted when you discover your knowledge isn't always correct. But remember that it's okay to be imperfect, because our loved ones can help us when we lose our way."

Zelda considered Ganondorf's words for a moment, and realized that he wasn't just talking about her. He was referring to himself, and how she brought him back from the edge of nothingness and despair. Before, when he was in possession of the Triforce of Power, he had a divine gift but nothing to live for. Now he has his family and his lover to make him whole. Yes, now they both have a lover to share their happiness with.

A grin coming to her face, Zelda abruptly shoved Ganondorf over onto his back and smothered him with several extremely appreciative kisses. Once she was sated, Zelda sat upon his belly and mockingly crossed her arms. "You stole those Silver Arrows."

With a warm smile, Ganondorf confessed to his crime. "Yes, I stole them, Your Majesty."

Clearing her throat, Zelda announced, "Ganondorf Dragmire of the Gerudo, in return for the vandalism you have caused against my beautiful castle, I hereby sentence you to serve the remainder of your days in the most humiliating position appropriate to your station."

"And what is that, Oh Queen of My Heart?" he asked, playfully kneading her thighs.

"...King Consort."

Ganondorf choked back a gasp, as Zelda giggled in response. "You... you mean...?"

"Oh, I suppose if you wish to be the one to propose, I'll take it back," Zelda mumbled, but was silenced as Ganondorf pulled her into a warm and passionate kiss.

"I accept," he answered as they parted, "and I promise not to patronize you."

"You won't have a chance to," she replied, "because Ruby will be elevated in rank from handmaiden to first lady of the bedchamber upon my marriage, and off the record will take on her position as my shadow. She won't put up with your smart mouth once she assumes the title of duchess." Zelda waited for a fancy retort, until she realized Ganondorf's overjoyed demeanor had become sullen. "What is it?"

"...We better head to the infirmary," he replied, causing all the color to drain from Zelda's face. She immediately jumped to her feet and ran out into the darkened hallway, ignoring Ganondorf's pleas to wait, and headed for the stairway. Zelda didn't care who saw her in her sleeping gown or with her disheveled appearance, she just had to get to the infirmary to find out what happened.

Zelda reached the first floor just as the servants had begun relighting the candles, and finally managed to stop tripping over her own feet now that she could see her way. Running into the infirmary out of breath, she began flailing around as someone had caught hold of her by the waist.

"Your Majesty, calm down, it's me Aveil!" Aveil pulled the anxious queen into her arms, and carefully tied back her wild hair. "My dear, you look as though the color has been scared out of you. Are you okay? What happened?"

Zelda stepped back from Aveil's embrace and looked around concerned, just as Ganondorf arrived. "I haven't told her," he explained.

"I see." Aveil left watching the door to Ganondorf, and took Zelda over to one of the private rooms. "Don't be too frightened by what you see, okay? The doctor says everything should be okay in a few weeks at most." Aveil opened the door, revealing an unconscious Ruby lying in bed with her abdomen heavily bandaged.

Zelda burst into tears at the sight, and collapsed next to the bed. Kona stood from her bedside chair and helped Zelda up, then allowed her to cry into her shoulder. "It's okay, Majesty, Ruby said before she went to sleep that the pain isn't as bad as it looks. The doctor also thinks that the little bit of healing magic that Ganon tried when he found her may have helped a lot. Aveil and I both gave some blood to help Ruby get her strength back, so we just have to let her fight it. She's a Gerudo, she'll make it."

"And it's not your fault," Aveil added, anticipating Zelda's next words. "The curse over the castle lifted because Ganondorf killed that thing, right? Ruby was on her way to see you when she ran into that monster. If Ganondorf hadn't heard her screaming, he might not have known it was in the castle and otherwise wouldn't have made it upstairs in time to save you. I know Ruby takes her job as your guardian seriously, and is proud of her work."

"And she's not gonna let some stupid shadow take her away from you," Ganondorf chimed in from the doorway. "'Milady's so smart,' she said. Not wise, smart. See, it's not everyday you find someone who doesn't care about the Triforce, but rather Zelda the woman."

Taking Zelda from Kona, Ganondorf wrapped his arms protectively around her. "Come on, let's go to bed. I can tell you're drained from the horrible day you've had, and weeping by Ruby's side won't help her recover any faster. Besides, you've got to be freezing in this sleeping gown..."

Kona and Aveil glanced at each other in surprise, as Zelda nodded and laid her head on Ganondorf's shoulder. In their native tongue, Kona asked, "Is there something we need to know about before we bid you goodnight?"

Right before closing the door, Ganondorf replied back, "Tell Duchess Ruby when she wakes up that she can start planning the wedding."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: This is the epilogue for now, I dunno maybe I'll write another one or change it in the future.

* * *

"Milady, are you looking forward to becoming a mother?" Ruby asked as she rearranged the bed pillows, slightly annoyed at her new king's sloppy habits. They'd been married for six months and sharing a bed for almost a year, and yet he still just threw everything around without any regard for Zelda's preferences.

Zelda chuckled into the vanity mirror as she unwove her bed-plaited hair. "Ruby, as I've told you before, you need to become pregnant first before worrying about the rest of the process." Sighing as she shook the remainder out, she admitted, "though in my case, I do have a few worries. My mother took quite some time to become pregnant after marriage, and I was the only child to come of the union. What if I share the same fate?"

"There are two parts to the process, Milady," Ruby snickered. "Perhaps the problem wasn't your mother at all? Besides, I don't think you have to worry about that with your husband. Gerudo males are known throughout history to be extremely fertile."

Zelda whipped around in her chair and glared at Ruby, her face as red as a tomato. "RUBY."

"I'm not lying!" Ruby threw her arms up in defense and chuckled, acting as if she could swat away the glares pointed in her direction. "The captain of the Termina Gerudo told me that in the old days, they used to make the lone male sire all the children in the village. She said it was like a lion and his pride, except that the women were in charge and the male had no say whatsoever. But she also said that if a male were born on her watch, she wouldn't do that because it was kinda gross."

"I've married into a strange family," Zelda mumbled, turning back around and laying her head on the counter. "May my future daughters take after my kin in spirit..."

"...Psst, you should name her Garnet."

Zelda popped her head back up, and sighed as she found Ganondorf poking his nose out of the bathroom door. "Were you _eavesdropping_ on our conversation?!"

Ruby dropped the linens she had been folding upon hearing this revelation, and turned with a sharp glare toward the bathroom. "WHAT are you doing! This is the queen's private time before her morning bath! Shoo!"

"Well, you were feeling a little under the weather yesterday, and now you're talking about pregnancies, and I see you laying your head on the desk, so maybe I think you're actually pregnant this time," he droned, opening the door a little wider to see if Zelda had tossed anything up into the wastebasket.

"NO." Ruby promptly shoved Ganondorf back, and pulled the door closed. "I didn't realize he wanted children this badly..."

"He is a family man, after all." Smiling, Zelda closed her eyes, and focused on her body's magical energy. Hm, something did seem a bit off. It would take another couple weeks to tell if it was a pregnancy or not, but something told her Ganondorf would get his wish. And she did have to admit, Garnet was a pretty name.


End file.
